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8 - 10 June 2024

Venue sponsor dalton school hong kong, registration deadline: 10 april 2024, event categories, nursery rhyme.

The piece performed must be memorised and recited in spoken format, without melody. No props are allowed.

Age 3 years

Ages 4 - 10 years, ages 5 - 12 years, reading aloud.

The piece performed must be read aloud from the text which should be held in the hand and referred to, not memorised. No props are allowed.

Ages 6 - 10 years

Public speaking.

Each speaker may speak for up to 3 minutes. An easel will be available if the speaker wishes to use a presentation board but this is not compulsory. Cue cards are allowed and optional.

Ages 8 - 12 years

Find your event, the event age is the age your child will be on 11 june 2024.

Please note that your child's event age and current age may not be the same

Please select your child's event age from the bar below TO access the performance pieces

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Mary Had a Little Lamb

VENUE SPONSOR

Dalton school, 10 hoi fai rd, tai kok tsui, hong kong.

Competition schedule will be announced via email

(email sent from  [email protected] ) in April 2024.

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Hong Kong Speech Festival - Solo Verse Tips and Advice

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The Hong Kong Speech Festival (English speech) is upon us again and that means a lot of students are preparing for their solo verses. As usual, the poems require the students to immerse themselves in the poet’s words and showcase their ability to convey emotions in order to score high marks.  And as always, this is the most difficult part for any participant in these competitions. Students will definitely need speech festival training and practice

Most schools will provide some basic guidance on what students need to do. Teachers will probably go over procedures, the format and provide simple training. Unfortunately, teachers usually can’t help each individual student and that’s why parents often look for speech festival training help on their own. Here we’ll talk about a few tips to help your children improve.

  • Students need to memorize the entire poem and be able to say each word correctly. If there are any mistakes, points will be deducted. For example, if the poem writes “the snake in the grass” and the student says “a snake in the grass”, they’ll lose marks for this error.
  • Building on saying each word correctly, students also need to be sure they enunciate well. This means that each word should be said clearly and each syllable is audible. Students should practice saying the multi-syllable words in the poem with specific emphasis on saying the ends of the words. Special attention on hard sounds in English, like “t” and “ck”, should be recognized. The organization still emphasizes British pronunciation, so if you can, try to have them practice with this in mind.
  • The theme or central idea of the poem should be understood by the student. If they don’t understand what the poem is about, they probably can’t relay it to the audience. For example, if the poem is somber, and the student recites it in a happy way, it shows that they didn’t understand the poem very well.
  • The student needs to understand every word in the poem. They need to understand how it’s used to convey the poet’s ideas and feelings. If they don’t understand the words, they won’t know if they need to emphasize it. Sometimes poets play with words in order to create a new feeling or idea and students need to be able to recognise this.
  • Volume, syllable stress and timing play a huge role in getting the overall tone of the poem down. Knowing when to slow down, pause, get louder and then focus on certain parts of words give the dramatic effect that leads to high marks.
  • Emotions seen through the face and heard through the voice are usually what determines if the student will score high or not (if they do the previous tips well). The student really needs to “dive into” the poem. For example, this year the P3 boys solo verse is “Elephant Walking” by Clive Sansom. In this poem, the speaker is an elephant in search of water. How do you convey the emotions of an elephant? You have to teach the student that the poet is attaching his human emotions onto the elephants in the poem. If the poet or an elephant sees a tiger, wouldn’t they both feel scared? Students have to show the emotions/feelings of the poem accurately and correctly in order to get high marks.

These tips should help students who are preparing for their poems by giving them more focus on what they need to improve on. In most cases, students need to work on all of the focus points above so it truly is a lot of work. There are a few resources online, but a lot of useful ones can be found on youtube . Just type in the name of the poem on the list and you’ll be able to hear and get some analysis on the poems.

We’re also here to help students. Please contact us if you want specialized Speech Festival Training and Practice from one of our qualified tutors. Good luck and practice hard!

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Speech Festival Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the open and non-open competition.

Many parents ask us this question.

This is for native speakers (English as a first language). The adjudicators have high standards. However, for children who are younger than P1 or for older children who want more practice and exposure, it is still well worth entering.

PLEASE CHECK WITH THE SCHOOL VERY CAREFULLY AS THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES IN THE RULES WHICH COULD RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION.

This is for non-native speakers usually attending mainstream (local) schools. In the rules, it states that students who violate this rule will have marks deducted but it is difficult really for adjudicators to know and many children are bi-lingual with both languages at native standard.

What is the difference between prose reading and prose speaking?

Prose Speaking

The piece must be memorised fully.

Prose Reading

The piece MUST NOT be memorised (marks will be deducted otherwise).

The student MUST hold the book.

An extract from the book will be chosen by the adjudicator (usually different for each student).

There is no need to quote the name of the book and author unless the adjudicator states it is needed.

Should my child do actions?

We do not recommend actions. Most adjudicators deduct marks for unnatural movements. The poem should be performed through VOICE and FACIAL EXPRESSION with natural body movements. When actions are forced, it is not truly felt. However, there are a few adjudicators who like actions. 

Teachers with little experience of the requirements generally teach children actions and we 'unteach' them. 

Is it necessary to bow?

It is not a requirement. However, most students do so in which case it should be quick but polite (adjudicators get bored).

What is suggested is brief eye to eye contact with the adjudicator and a GENUINE smile before starting (once started the student should look at the whole audience not the adjudicator).

How can I enter my child for the Speech Festival?

Some schools select students to represent the school.

Some schools offer entry for all students.

If your child is not selected or the school does not offer enrolment, please contact us and we will explain how you can still enroll your child.

How do I choose the right poem for my child?

Do not choose the shortest one because it is short. These tend to be more technically difficult.

Let your child try the poems.

We have a poem selection service which you can find here  if you want to find the best match for your child's personality/voice.

My child was not selected by his or her school. Can he or she still enter?

Yes. See above.

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  • April 14, 2022

What are speech marks? Examples and how to use them

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From novels to news reports, speech marks are used in all sorts of places! In this guide, we take a look at what they are, where they’re used and some handy rules to keep in mind when using them.

In this blog, jump to:

What are speech marks?

Where are speech marks used, when do children learn about speech marks, how to use speech marks, speech mark examples, how to use speech marks when writing, general rules for using speech marks.

Speech marks are special punctuation marks that show the exact words someone has spoken.

They’re also known as quotation marks and inverted commas, and they always appear in pairs at the beginning and end of what was said.

This is what they look like: “ ”

And here’s an example of some speech marks in action:

“The words that appear between speech marks are the exact words that someone has said,” said the teacher.

You can find speech marks everywhere. They’re common in stories, news articles, poetry and essays. By showing when someone is speaking, speech marks can help make a text more lively and easier to read.

In a story, speech marks may show which of the characters is speaking. For example, in a children’s book you may read:

“We always eat in the garden,” said Markus.

In a news article, speech marks can be used to show a statement made by an expert. For example:

Economists say that “the increase in production will help the job market to grow”.

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Children usually start learning about speech marks around the age of 7.

Before they learn about speech marks, they’ll first be taught about other forms of punctuation, including full stops, commas, exclamation marks and question marks.

Being able to tell the difference between direct and indirect speech will help children to effectively use speech marks.

  • Direct speech: shows the exact words that were spoken by a person or character. Speech marks are used at the beginning and end of direct speech to represent what someone has said.
  • Indirect speech: shows what someone said without using their exact words. Speech marks aren’t used in these cases.
  • A reporting clause will let a reader know who said the direct speech and how they said it.

You should always separate direct speech from the reporting clause by a comma.

This may sound a little complicated, but if we look at an example it will all be clearer.

Anne said, “It’s snowing!”

In this example, ‘Anne said’ is the reporting clause, as it lets us know that it was Anne who spoke. This clause is separated by a comma from Anne’s direct speech, which is represented by the text between the speech marks (“It’s snowing!”).

If you’re writing a conversation between multiple people, reporting clauses can also help to clarify who’s speaking, and when.

Let’s take a look at some examples of speech marks in actions. These will help us better understand the different uses of speech marks.

The teacher said that Anthony’s story was “exceptionally written” and that’s why she read it to the whole class.

In this example, a fragmented part of the teacher’s statement is quoted. This is why the statement isn’t capitalised and has no punctuation before or within the quotation marks.

Markus laughed, “Did you see how high I jumped?”

“I know! It was amazing!” Adriana agreed.

In this example, two different people are speaking. The reporting clauses (‘Marcus laughed’ and ‘Adriana agreed’) shows us who is speaking. Each speaker is also placed on a new line to help the reader see that a new person has started speaking.

“It’s amazing,” William exclaimed, “there are bubbles everywhere!”

In this example, the statement made by William is separated by the reporting clause. This is a fun way of adding some character to your writing when using speech marks.

“Polar bears are my favourite real animals,” Mario said. He then told us about the mythical animals he likes more than polar bears.

This is an interesting example because only part of what Mario said is directly written down. The rest is summarised in indirect speech, and this is why there are no speech marks in the second sentence.

If you’d like to quote a phrase or statement, using speech marks will show the reader that these aren’t your original words.

Speech marks are also a great way to give emphasis to certain phrases.

If you’re writing stories, they’ll also help to separate when the different characters are talking. Keep in mind that speech is a faster way of moving a story forward, so be careful about how much you use them!

There are a few helpful rules to keep in mind when using speech marks:

  • Sentences made by different characters or people will need to be in separate lines
  • If you’re using a person’s full statement, the punctuation of the sentence will need to be within the quotation marks. This includes full stops, exclamation marks, and question marks.
  • If a reporting clause is before the speech marks, you’ll need a comma to separate the two. This comma will be before the speech marks.
  • If a reporting clause comes in the middle of two quoted sentence parts, you’ll need a comma at the end of the speech marks in the first part and at the beginning of the speech marks in the second part of the sentence

Final thoughts

Using speech marks is relatively easy once you realise that they’re only used to express what someone said. When writing an essay or story, speech marks can also help to make your writing more interesting and even livelier!

To learn even more about speech marks, why not download the DoodleEnglish app ?

It’s filled with interactive exercises exploring the topic, making it the perfect way to put your learning into practice.

Best of all, it’s designed to be used for just 10 minutes a day — and you can try it for absolutely free!

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  • 74th Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival Results (English Events 2022-23)

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Thanks to all the coaches and members of the English Prose Reading Club, we saw commendable results this year.

Honorary Coach:

Mrs. TAM Leung Yen Ying (our former vice principal)

Teacher Coordinator:

Mr. LAM Ka Chun

Teacher Coaches:

Ms. CHAN Yan

Ms. CHENG Yan Yan

Ms. HAI Wan Man Nikki

Ms. LAU Ho Ching

Mr. MARTIN Nathan

Alumni Coaches:

Mr. CHAN Tsz Laam Victor

Ms. NG Yuen Ki Cindy

Mr. WAN Pui Hin Herman

Ms. WONG Ching Lam Constance

Ms. WONG Ka Man Carmen

Ms. WONG Lan Bonnie

Ms. WONG Monnie

Ms. WONG Sui Yui Rachel

Ms. WONG Sui Wai Nancy

Total Number of Champions: 8

Total Number of First Runner-ups: 11

Total Number of Second Runner-ups: 11

Total Number of Prizes:  30

Total number of events having taken place:  104

Total number of Honours: 4 (Total men-times: 4)

Total number of Merit: 94 (Total men-times: 102)

Total number of Proficiency: 3 (Total men-times: 3)

Junior (F.1-3) men times:  67

Senior (F.4-6) men times: 46

90-100 marks: Honours

80-89 marks: Merit

70-79 marks: Proficiency

PROSE READING SOLO

PUBLIC SPEAKING SOLO

DRAMATIC DUOLOGUE

*Members of SKHTST Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program (TYLP)

Fifteen members of our school’s Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program participated in the events (prose reading solo, public speaking solo and dramatic duologue) of the 74 th Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival. Three of them were champions, five of them were 1 st runners-up and two of them were 2 nd runners-up. Three of the four students who were awarded 90 marks have been our TYLP regular members.

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  • Aug 23, 2021

Top 10 tips for Speech Festival success! Part 1: Preparation

Decide which event to enrol in – depending on age, the child may be able to choose from verse (a poem), prose (an extract from a story), or reading aloud (performing from a written document). Most students enter the verse event, which is a great place to start for a first speech festival, but the selected pieces from other events may strike the imagination more or add further depth to the child’s learning.

Explore the piece with others through read-throughs, storytelling, and pictures. It’s very important to understand what is happening in the piece – the meanings of the words, who the characters are, what the main theme is, how the mood is described, the rhyme scheme and rhythm, and what is happening in the action.

Look at the structure and breathing patterns. This is like the skeleton of the piece, so it’s important to get this right before adding on the rest of the “body”. Divide the piece up into phrases divided by punctuation and meaning. Remember that you might not always be able to breathe at the end of the line of a poem to keep the phrasing and meaning.

Practise the pronunciation and diction. Read through the piece very slowly and clearly, making sure that each sound is said correctly and accurately. Pay particular attention to ending consonants like d , k , and t , and more dificult sounds like th . When speaking in a big room, it’s easy for these sounds to get “swallowed” and make the words seem unclear.

Memorise the piece. Make sure you have gone through the 4 steps above first before you start to memorise. It’s not a good idea to memorise too early as bad habits may be memorised and will then be more difficult to correct. (Note that reading aloud pieces should not be memorised as the technique is to perform while reading from a document or book.)

Picture the piece like a movie in your mind. As you are reciting the piece, imagine you’re playing a movie in your head where you can see the characters and the action unfolding. This helps enormously with creating natural sounding expression.

Develop expression in your voice. Find different words and phrases in the piece where you can vary the volume (loud/soft), pace (fast/slow), and pitch (high/low). Look for special words to emphasise. Show the feelings that the piece is conveying through changes in the voice.

Use your face and eyes. These are as important as the voice when conveying expression and meaning. Show the action and moods through wider or more narrow eyes, raised eyebrows, smiles, frowns, and a range of facial expressions. These all add to the interest and depth of the performance.

Show engagement and enjoyment! This is often even more important than technical ability. The adjudicator is looking for a genuine connection with the piece by the performer. With dozens of other students all reciting the same piece, it’s important to stand out!

Practise … but not too much. Make sure you are fully familiar and comfortable with the piece – practising for 5 minutes every day is better than doing nothing for a week and then repeating the piece over and over for an hour. Make sure you don’t over-practise so that the piece no longer sounds fresh. The trick is to have it “just right” for the event day!

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Billie Eilish Wins Her Second Oscar for Barbie Song "What Was I Made For"

The win marks the first time in 25 years that a song has won both the Oscar for best original song and the Grammy for song of the year.

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Billie Eilish may be just 22 years old, but she already is a two-time Oscar winner.

They were presented the award by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who are starring in the upcoming Wicked films .

"I had a nightmare about this last night," Eilish began, before pausing and laughing. "Thank you so much to the Academy, I just didn't think this would happen. I was not expecting this. I feel so incredibly lucky and honored. Thank you to Greta—I love you, thank you." She added, "This goes out to everyone who was affected by the movie and how incredible it is." Finneas then chimed with a long list of of thank yous, and said, "Thank you to our parents forever and ever and ever."

Earlier in the evening, Eilish and Finneas performed their song, and received a standing ovation from the audience.

96th annual academy awards show

At the 2022 Oscars, Billie and Finneas also won Best Original Song, for "No Time to Die" from the James Bond film of the same name.

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"This is so unbelievable I could scream," Billie said during their acceptance speech. Finneas added, "We want to thank our parents, who have always been our biggest inspirations and our heroes, and we love you as parents, and we love you as real people too."

The siblings' win tonight marks the first time since 1999 that a song won both Best Original Song at the Oscars and Song of the Year at the Grammys, the top songwriting award. The last tune to achieve that double feat was Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" (from Titanic ) and the double victory has only happened ten times (including Eilish's win tonight) in history, per Billboard .

preview for 4 Things to Know About Finneas

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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Fact Focus: Claims Biden administration is secretly flying migrants into the country are unfounded

FILE - President Joe Biden walks out of the White House to board Marine One on the South Lawn in Washington, Jan. 12, 2024. In his victory speech Tuesday, March 5, 2024 former president Donald Trump echoed false statements that the Biden administration has secretly flown hundreds of thousands of foreigners to the United States. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

FILE - President Joe Biden walks out of the White House to board Marine One on the South Lawn in Washington, Jan. 12, 2024. In his victory speech Tuesday, March 5, 2024 former president Donald Trump echoed false statements that the Biden administration has secretly flown hundreds of thousands of foreigners to the United States. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

FILE - Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a primary election night party at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia, S.C., Feb. 24, 2024. In a victory speech on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, former President Trump elevated false information that had gone viral on social media, claiming the Biden administration secretly flew hundreds of thousands of migrants into the United States. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — In his Super Tuesday victory speech, former President Donald Trump elevated false information that had gone viral on social media, claiming the Biden administration secretly flew hundreds of thousands of migrants into the United States.

Many post sharing the claim referred to a report by the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates for immigration restrictions. It said the administration refused to list individual airports where people arrived under a Biden “parole” program that allows Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans to stay in the U.S. for two years.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection each month publishes the number of migrants admitted under the program by nationality. This information is available on its website and in press releases. It does not list arriving airports.

Trump said during his speech, “Today it was announced that 325,000 people were flown in from parts unknown - migrants were flown in airplane, not going through borders ... It was unbelievable. I said that must be a mistake. They flew 325,000 migrants. Flew them in over the borders and into our country.”

But migrants are not being flown into the U.S. randomly. Under a Biden policy in effect since January 2023, up to 30,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela can enter the country monthly if they apply online with a financial sponsor and arrive at a specified airport, paying their own way. Biden exercised his “parole” authority, which, under a 1952 law, allows him to admit people “only on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.”

FILE - In this courtroom sketch, retired three-star Venezuelan army general Cliver Antonio Alcala Cordones, right, appears in federal court, Jan, 18, 2024, in New York. The formidable opponent of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro who twice tried to mount coups against the socialist leader spoke to The Associated Press as a Manhattan federal judge decides whether to punish him with a long prison sentence. It's the first time Alcalá has spoken since surrendering in 2020. (Elizabeth Williams via AP, File)

Here’s a closer look. CLAIM: The Biden administration has secretly flown more than 300,000 unvetted migrants into the country.

THE FACTS: An article published on Monday by the Center for Immigration Studies examined a major example of how Biden has exercised his parole authority for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans.

Each month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection discloses how many people from these four countries were allowed to enter the country. On Jan. 26, the agency reported 327,000 were vetted and authorized for travel. There were more than 67,000 Cubans, 126,000 Haitians, 53,000 Nicaraguans and 81,000 Venezuelans.

The Center for Immigration Studies article says CBP approved flights that brought 320,000 to the United States last year. The author, Todd Bensman, learned they came to 43 airports but the government refused to divulge which ones, citing an exemption under the Freedom of Information Act for law enforcement-sensitive information.

Bensman said Wednesday that he doesn’t consider the program secretive, but finds it “enigmatic” and lacking in transparency.”

The migrants are not coming in from “parts unknown,” as Trump charged. CBP vets each one for eligibility and publishes the number of airport arrivals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Social media posts, including one by Elon Musk’s, charge that the administration is doing this to bring in voters.

But people admitted into the country under parole have no path to citizenship. They can obtain work permits for a limited time but voters must be U.S. citizens.

Biden has exercised parole authority far more than any of his predecessors, which Trump calls “an outrageous abuse” that he will end if returned to the White House. Biden has granted entry — by land or air — to at least 1 million people using parole, not just the 327,000 who flew from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua or Venezuela though December.

Angelo Fernández Hernández, a White House spokesperson, said Wednesday that reports of secretly flying people into the country were “categorically false” and that Cubans, Haitian, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans were “thoroughly screened.”

The Trump campaign and Musk representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

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5 Takeaways From the State of the Union

Verbal swings at Donald Trump, though not by name. A spirited back-and-forth with G.O.P. lawmakers. And a loud and feisty delivery.

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Members of the media sit in chairs in a hallway of the Capitol building watching President Biden deliver his speech on a television.

By Michael D. Shear and Shane Goldmacher

  • March 7, 2024

President Biden delivered an energetic and impassioned speech that was as much a campaign kickoff as it was a State of the Union, leveraging what is expected to be one of his largest audiences of the year to make a forceful case that he was fit enough for another four years.

Mr. Biden has rarely been called a bold orator. But he arrived on Capitol Hill on Thursday with the benefit of mercifully low expectations after unrelenting Republican attacks on his mental and physical fitness.

This was not a typical State of the Union. The speeches are often a laundry list of accomplishments and an equally long set of promises. Instead, this was Mr. Biden framing the year, just as his White House and Wilmington-based advisers want, as a stark choice between two candidates.

He opened with Donald Trump. He closed with Mr. Trump. And in between he taunted and teased the Republican lawmakers in the chamber who were protesting and jeering, readily taking the bait — and even one person’s pin — to score political points of his own.

Here are five takeaways from Mr. Biden’s fiery election-year State of the Union:

For Biden, his rival was always ‘my predecessor’ — never Trump.

Mr. Biden may not have mentioned Mr. Trump by name, but he left little doubt about whom he was speaking — and whom he was running against.

The president outlined sharply divergent views of America — its government and its role in the world — with “my predecessor,” a phrase he first used fewer than five minutes into the speech.

He used it over and over again. He quoted Mr. Trump’s comments encouraging President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to do “whatever the hell you want” in Europe, calling it “outrageous, dangerous” and “unacceptable.”

Now my predecessor, a former Republican president, tells Putin, quote, “Do whatever the hell you want.” That’s a quote. A former president actually said that, bowing down to a Russian leader. I think it’s outrageous. It’s dangerous and it’s unacceptable.

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He talked about how “my predecessor” had tried to rewrite the history of the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, how “my predecessor” had failed to care as the pandemic began to rage across the nation almost exactly four years ago, how “my predecessor” had done little to combat China and how “my predecessor” had not acted on gun violence.

The structure of these speeches is highly intentional. And all these contrasts with Mr. Trump came before Mr. Biden’s recitation of his own accomplishments, or before he discussed any new proposals for the rest of this year or for a second term.

Later — in a moment not in his prepared remarks — he spoke directly to Mr. Trump. “If my predecessor is watching,” Mr. Biden said, before urging the former president to join him in backing the failed bipartisan border bill that Mr. Trump helped tank.

The focus was a sign of how political the president’s address had been — and how central Mr. Trump is to Mr. Biden’s own political future.

He seemed to relish tangling with the G.O.P.

Moments of Mr. Biden’s address were reminiscent of the one he gave a year ago, when he responded to heckles from Republican lawmakers with quick retorts that earned him high marks for being quick on his feet.

On Thursday, he did it again, sparring with Republicans about tax cuts and immigration and more. Once, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, yelled during the speech that Mr. Biden’s son should pay his taxes.

At one point, Mr. Biden held up a pin that Ms. Greene had been handing out ahead of the speech calling on him to say the name of the nurse in Georgia who had been killed. A Venezuelan migrant has been charged with her murder.

Mr. Biden held up the pin and declared, “An innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal,” a term many Democrats have retired.

“Not really —” Rep. Greene: “It’s about Laken Riley.” “I —” “Say her name.” “Laken — Laken Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. That’s right. But how many of the thousands of people being killed by legals — to her parents, I say my heart goes out to you, having lost children myself. I understand.”

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Mr. Biden and his advisers had prepared — in fact, had been eager for — an interplay with G.O.P. lawmakers. They are betting that people are looking for a fighter and someone who still has the energy to engage with his rivals, politically and on the global stage.

Doing that can be tricky. In some of his news conferences, he has come across as more angry than assertive. In other moments, he has seemed too soft-spoken or weak, prompting some of his supporters to wish that he put more energy into being more assertive.

On Thursday night, with the help of the Republicans, he avoided both extremes. He ended the 68-minute speech with an even louder finish that drew the usual standing ovation from Democrats.

Biden talked up economics, but not ‘Bidenomics.’

Mr. Biden faced a fundamental tension as he stepped onto the speaker’s rostrum. Many economic indicators are up. But a majority of Americans keep saying in polls that they see the country headed in the wrong direction — and that they don’t believe Mr. Biden’s policies have helped them.

Mr. Biden settled on a balancing act on Thursday.

He boasted that “consumer confidence is soaring” and inflation was dropping. But the bigger case he made was for voters to “remember” the depths of 2020 and compare that to where the nation was now. “I inherited an economy that was on the brink,” he said. “Now our economy is the envy of the world.”

Along the way, he leaned on a number of tangible and more populist-infused items in a bid to connect his agenda to the public. More candy and chips in snack bags, for instance, but also lower credit card fees. And, of course, the old Democratic standbys of raising taxes on the super-wealthy.

He also tucked in some media criticism, too, calling the recovery “the greatest comeback story never told.” It was one he was determined to tell, though on Thursday he was sure to toss the credit to the country for the progress.

He predicted that the issue of abortion would propel Democrats in November.

This State of the Union speech was Mr. Biden’s second since Roe v. Wade was overturned. But he devoted far more time to abortion than the 72 words he spent on the subject in 2023. In fact, his prediction that the “power of women” would show itself in 2024 because of abortion was the first excerpt the White House had released before the speech.

On Thursday, he spoke of Democratic victories in 2022 and 2023 since the Supreme Court overturned Roe and he made a prediction.

“We’ll win again in 2024,” he said, because of abortion. It was an explicit political call to arms in the halls of government. The speech itself doubled as a map to the top issues Mr. Biden is running on, including democracy.

“My God, what freedoms will you take away next?” Mr. Biden said.

In its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court majority wrote the following. And with all due respect, justices, women are not without electoral — electoral power. Excuse me, electoral or political power. You’re about to realize just how much we’re right about that. Clearly — clearly those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women, but they found out when reproductive freedom was on the ballot. We won in 2022 and 2020, and we’ll win again in 2024.

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The centrality of “reproductive freedom,” as Mr. Biden often phrases it, was not just clear from his speech but the guests in the White House’s box. They included a Texas woman who had to leave her state to get an abortion to save her own life and an Alabama woman who had been scheduled for fertility treatments when the Alabama Supreme Court shut down I.V.F. treatments in that state.

The reality, for now, is that the Democratic agenda is more defensive of potential Republican action on abortion. There is little the president can do for abortion rights, which is why his promise to “restore” Roe v. Wade was so carefully crafted to include the hedge that he would do so “if” voters also elect a Congress that could pass such legislation.

It was a feisty speech aimed at combating the notion that Biden is too old.

Mr. Biden came into Thursday’s speech determined to use the high-profile moment to beat back accusations that he is too old for a second term.

He delivered feisty remarks at a near-shout in an effort to show energy and vitality. He sparred with Republicans in the chamber several times, diverting from his prepared remarks to ad-lib his retorts. And as he neared the end of his speech, the president joked about his age.

“I know I may not look like it, but I’ve been around a while,” the 81-year-old commander in chief said to chuckles in the chamber. “And when you get to my age, certain things become clearer than ever.”

In my career, I’ve been told I was too young. By the way, they didn’t let me on the Senate elevators for votes sometimes — not a joke. And I’ve been told I’m too old. Whether young or old, I’ve always been known — I’ve always known what endures. I’ve known our North star. The very idea of America is that we’re all created equal and deserved to be treated equally throughout our lives. We’ve never fully lived up to that idea, but we’ve never walked away from it either. And I won’t walk away from it now. I’m optimistic. I really am. I’m optimistic, Nancy.

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If his primary mission was to avoid a gaffe that would feed into concerns about his age, as expressed by broad majorities in both parties in multiple polls, he succeeded in that mission. But despite a performance that was more spirited than he often delivers, it was unlikely that one evening would quell widespread voter concerns about his age or change G.O.P. strategy. Republicans have made questioning Mr. Biden’s competency a centerpiece of their 2024 playbook.

The morning of the State of Union began with an ad from Mr. Trump’s super PAC questioning if Mr. Biden would live to 2029. By evening, Donald Trump Jr. said on social media that Mr. Biden looked “like a reanimated corpse.”

But the Mr. Biden that the nation saw on Thursday was very much alive.

Michael D. Shear is a White House correspondent for The New York Times, covering President Biden and his administration. He has reported on politics for more than 30 years. More about Michael D. Shear

Shane Goldmacher is a national political correspondent, covering the 2024 campaign and the major developments, trends and forces shaping American politics. He can be reached at [email protected] . More about Shane Goldmacher

Our Coverage of the State of the Union

In a raucous state of the union address, president biden sought to reassure americans that at 81, he is ready for a second term..

Biden’s Performance: The president was feisty   and displayed a newly found solemnity and blunt combativeness . Republicans jeered  from their seats. And Democrats enthusiastically cheered their presidential nominee, even as a few aired their grievances about the war in Gaza .

A Contrast With Trump: In his speech, Biden launched a series of fiery attacks  against former President Donald Trump, a competitor whom he did not mention by name but made clear was a dire threat to American democracy  and to  stability in the world .

Middle East Crisis: During the State of the Union, the president announced the construction of a port to deliver aid to Gaza. That decision, as well as the  authorization of aid airdrops  on the territory, raised uncomfortable questions  about America’s role in the war.

Seeking a Tricky Balance: As he spoke to Congress, Biden tried to demonstrate that he could be tough on the border without demonizing immigrants .

A Rare Mention: Biden briefly referenced a topic  that he has often been reluctant to embrace: marijuana. His words could signal a move toward promoting the efforts he has made to liberalize cannabis policy.

Style Choices: Democratic women in suffragist white , Marjorie Taylor Greene in MAGA red. The sartorial statement-making on the congressional floor was clear .

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Hitler-quoting candidate wins North Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary

Mark Robinson, who has history of making inflammatory comments, will face Democrat Josh Stein, in what’s expected to be a close race in November

Mark Robinson, North Carolina’s lieutenant governor who has a history of making inflammatory comments and has said he would abolish abortion rights, has won the state’s Republican nomination for governor.

Robinson, North Carolina ’s first Black lieutenant governor, will face Democrat Josh Stein, the state attorney general, in what’s expected to be a close and hotly contested race in November. Robinson and Stein are attempting to succeed the current Democratic governor Roy Cooper, who is term limited.

Because Republicans already control North Carolina’s legislature, a Robinson victory would give them a trifecta and unilateral control over policymaking in a critical battleground state.

Issues like the right to abortion would be at stake. Robinson said last month that he would “absolutely” protect life from conception . “We got it down to 12 weeks,” he said. “The next goal is to get it down to six, and then just keep moving from there.”

A former factory worker, Robinson launched his political career when his 2018 speech on gun laws to his hometown council went viral. During that speech, Robinson said he represented average Americans who feel targeted and whose safety feels threatened by attempts to restrict firearm access.

The attention following the speech earned him a spot as a conservative commentator and National Rifle Association board member, and he used his new fame to launch his successful bid for lieutenant governor.

Robinson has a history of controversial statements. He has described Covid-19 as a “globalist” conspiracy to destroy Donald Trump . In 2021, he criticized efforts to teach LGBTQ+ issues in sex education, referring to transgender and homosexual people as “filth” . He has also said people who are gay are equivalent to “what the cows leave behind” as well as “maggots” and “flies”.

He implied at a campaign event last month that transgender women should be arrested if they use women’s restrooms.

He once described the movie Black Panther as “created by an agnostic Jew and put to film by [a] satanic marxist”. He then said it “was only created to pull the shekels out of your Schvartze pockets”.

In 2014, he quoted Hitler on Facebook in a statement about racial pride. He defended the post in a speech last July, saying quoting the Nazi leader doesn’t equate to supporting him.

“Because you quoted Hitler, you support Hitler,” he said. “I guess every history book in America supports Hitler now. They all quote him.”

If Stein were to win in November, he would be North Carolina’s first Jewish governor. Robinson would be the state’s first Black governor.

At a rally last weekend endorsing Robinson, Trump praised Robinson’s rhetorical skills and called him “Martin Luther King on steroids”.

The race, just one of two gubernatorial contests in swing states this year, will command national attention, with Democrats likely to paint Robinson as an extremist and Republicans tying Stein to Biden and his unpopularity. While Republicans currently control the state legislature, Democrats have lost only one gubernatorial race in North Carolina since 1992.

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George Santos returns to Congress for State of the Union after ouster

George Santos is back on Capitol Hill, though not as a congressman this time.

The ousted elected official made a surprise appearance at President Joe Biden's State of the Union address . Later that evening he announced plans to run for Congress again and against sitting Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y.

"Tonight, I want to announce that I will be returning to the arena of politics and challenging Nick," Santos said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The former New York representative was expelled from the House last year for fabricating his background and his sweeping criminal charges. His attendance at the speech marks his first time in the building since his removal.

House member says Santos 'should stay away'

One House Republican told USA TODAY that Santos "should stay away."

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

But, the Republican joked, Santos' return is fitting since "he’s already delivered a State of the Union address," referencing the embattled for lawmaker's lies.

Why was George Santos expelled

The 311-114 bipartisan vote to expel Santos from his position came after a House Ethics Committee report found substantial evidence that Santos misused campaign funds for his own personal benefit.

The former congressman faced calls to resign from both Democrats and Republicans. While Santos admitted to lying about his background he denied all other wrongdoing related to the federal charges and pleaded not guilty.

Santos lies include being Jewish and going to college

In December 2022, the New York Times reported that Santos lying about where he went to college and working for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, as well as falsifying records relating to his financial status.

Weeks later, Santos told the New York Post that he did fabricate his job experience and college education adding that "my sins are embellishing my resume." He also responded to reports that he lied about being Jewish saying claimed he was "Jew-ish" instead.

In February 2023, a former aide accused him of sexual harassment in a complaint to the House Ethics Committee claiming the congressman inappropriately touched him. Santos denied the allegation calling it "comical" on CNN.

After his expulsion, Santos said he will not seek reelection for a second term in 2024 so his family can avoid excessive press attention. The day he left he told reporters "to hell with this place."

In his post Thursday, Santos said he looks forward to debating Rep. LaLota on issues and "his weak record as a Republican."

"The fight for our majority is imperative for the survival of the country," he said.

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Mary J. Blige Brings Her Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit to New York City for 2024

50 Cent, Jill Scott, Muni Long and Lola Brooke are among the performers at the Mother's Day weekend event, May 10-12

By Gail Mitchell

Gail Mitchell

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Mary J. Blige

Beck & slightly stoopid to headline atlanta's sweetwater 420 fest, trending on billboard.

Founder Blige launched the Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit in 2022. In a release announcing its 2024 rollout, Blige stated, “I’m so excited to bring our Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit to my hometown, New York City, a place that has always been a huge source of inspiration for me. Having the opportunity to continue to uplift, inspire and build within my community is the reason I created this festival. I’m so grateful for all the support from our performers, attendees and, of course, our partners Live Nation Urban and Pepsi. Nobody does it like New York, so get ready.”

As before, Pepsi — the festival’s inaugural partner — will also bring back its popular Pepsi Dig In platform, featuring an array of food from local Black female restaurateurs.

In celebration of Women’s History Month (March), presale tickets will go live Wednesday and Thursday (March 6-7) with the code STRENGTH. General ticket sales will begin Friday, March 8, at 10 a.m. ET. For tickets and schedule, visit the event’s website .

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Rave wake and Stalin’s speech: the most unusual events in the Moscow Metro

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1. Library, maternity ward and speech hall during the Great Patriotic War

"I stop by almost daily. Not because this station’s on the way home, but to have time to read newspapers and other literature... The only drawbacks are the circulating air from the moving trains and the continuous flow of passengers,” civil engineer Bogdanov (first name unknown) described Kurskaya metro station in the first year of the Great Patriotic War.

speech festival marks

By the time the war came to the Soviet Union in 1941, three metro lines had been built. During the bombing of Moscow, residents sought shelter there. It’s hard to imagine now, but during the war the Metro operated 24/7 — trains carried passengers by day, and stations became shelters by night.

The stations were equipped with toilets and water fountains, as well as loungers and cots for people and babies to sleep in. Women with infants, the elderly and the disabled spent the night in carriages, according to historical documents available on the website of the mayor of Moscow. 

Speech by I. Stalin with a report dedicated to the 24th anniversary of the VOSR at the solemn meeting of the Moscow City Council. Mayakovskaya metro station, November 6, 1941

Speech by I. Stalin with a report dedicated to the 24th anniversary of the VOSR at the solemn meeting of the Moscow City Council. Mayakovskaya metro station, November 6, 1941

In some stations, people received medical treatment, including the delivery of babies; shops and hairdressers also operated. Children were given DIY lessons and taught how to sew and draw; while film screenings, concerts and historical exhibitions were organized for adults. 

Even Stalin himself descended there on November 6, 1941, to deliver a speech at Mayakovskaya station before the Moscow City Council of Deputies. In preparation for his arrival, the floor was carpeted and a rostrum installed, and the commander-in-chief’s portrait was hung on the wall in front of the bust of Lenin. The speech was followed by a buffet — guests were treated to beer, bread-rings and sandwiches inside the rail cars. 

READ MORE: What went down in the Moscow Metro during WWII? (PHOTOS)

2. Launch of Ptyuch magazine at Krasniye Vorota

Ptyuch magazine presentation at Krasnye Vorota station of Moscow Metro, 1994

Ptyuch magazine presentation at Krasnye Vorota station of Moscow Metro, 1994

Disposable cups and plates with leftovers were scattered on the escalators, nearby were young people — some wearing windbreakers, some in denim, some in printed T-shirts, some in suits. 

Sounds like a trendy rave, but this is how the glossy magazine, Ptyuch, was launched in 1994 — right inside Moscow’s Krasnye Vorota metro station. Appropriately enough, the magazine covered mostly techno music and shock-jock stories about raves, including from the eponymous club in Moscow, owned by the same person as the magazine. The front cover was often adorned by androgynous models, transvestites, designers and musicians. 

Even by today’s standards, Ptyuch was radical. “It printed images of urinating boys with non-child size members, and used curse words liberally. I'll never forget the cover title: GO F*** YOURSELF. And then the cover girl might calmly declare: ‘Drugs are a permanent part of my life,’” is what former contributor Maxim Semelyak has to say about the magazine. 

Ptyuch was closed down in 2003, after the wildness of the 90s had subsided. According to journalist Dmitry Mishenin, the magazine should have “called time before the turn of the millennium when it was still a not-young, but still smoking hot chick.” Nevertheless, the memory of its equally smoking hot launch in the subway lives on forever.

3. Italian opera at Kropotkinskaya

Performance of the Italian composer Pietro Mascagni's opera

Performance of the Italian composer Pietro Mascagni's opera "Rural Honor" during the night opera concert at the metro station "Kropotkinskaya"

The Moscow Metro usually runs till 1 a.m., when the last handful of passengers can be seen dashing to catch the last train.

But on the night of May 14, 2016, a whole crowd gathered at Kropotkinskaya metro station, where the platform had been converted into a mini-stage for a 170-strong choir.

Italian Opera at Kropotkinskaya

Italian Opera at Kropotkinskaya

The Moscow Metro was celebrating its 81st anniversary, and subway employees were treated to a performance of Pietro Mascagni's opera, Rural Honor, by the Russian Presidential Orchestra, replete with conductors and five opera soloists. One of the solo parts was performed by the Danish Royal Opera prima donna, Natalia Leontyeva. “During World War II, my mother hid from the bombing in this very station,” said Leontyeva. A symphony orchestra had performed at the same station in 2010, but the opera in 2016 was the largest event in the Metro’s history. 

4. Fashion show at a depot

Givenchy Fashion show at the Moscow Metro Sokol metro station depot

Givenchy Fashion show at the Moscow Metro Sokol metro station depot

Police officers stand guard while contented, luxuriously fur-coated passengers are served champagne by waiters right inside the moving train. The train pulls into the station, where the platform is decked with several rows of chairs and a podium on which models are about to begin strutting to music, as if in the TV series Sex and the City.

That is how, in 1997, Givenchy put on a show in Moscow at the Sokol metro station depot, attended in person by Alexander McQueen, who also came to visit his own boutique in GUM. According to Kommersant newspaper , McQueen declined to appear on the catwalk, preferring to observe the reaction of guests from the sidelines. 

Show of the collection of fashion designer Alexander Terekhov on the platform of the metro station

Show of the collection of fashion designer Alexander Terekhov on the platform of the metro station "Dostoevskaya". 2016

It was 2016 before the Moscow Metro hosted another fashion show, this time by Alexander Terekhov at Dostoevskaya station. There was no catwalk this time. Instead, the models walked up and down the lobby’s slippery marble floor. 

A model showcases creations during a catwalk show for a collection by the Section pop-up store as part of the 42nd edition of the Moscow Fashion Week, at Delovoi Tsentr station of the Moscow Underground

A model showcases creations during a catwalk show for a collection by the Section pop-up store as part of the 42nd edition of the Moscow Fashion Week, at Delovoi Tsentr station of the Moscow Underground

Shows by several Russian designers were held in 2019 at Delovoy Tsentr station, timed to coincide with the start of Moscow Fashion Week. The models descended directly down the escalator to the sound of train wheels as a “musical” accompaniment.

5. Funeral wake on the Circle Line

speech festival marks

A topless woman sits in a subway carriage and eats something like Olivier salad with a fork, posing for the camera. In the foreground is a vodka-laden festive table at which both men and women sit. They’re all eating and drinking right in the rail car, without clinking glasses. Some recite poetry in unison, others sing songs to the strains of a guitar. Newly arrived guests are also treated to food and drink; there is not a policeman in sight.

At one point, one of the men says, “Thank you, we’ve done the Circle Line.” Everyone prepares to get off the train, leaving the table inside the carriage.

https://plucer.livejournal.com/CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

https://plucer.livejournal.com/CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

“Aren’t we taking the table?? There’s no way I’m going without it!” says one of the women. But she has no time to grab it as the doors close and the train with leftovers rolls off. 

This is not some random party, but a wake held by the art group, Voina (War), 40 days after the death of avant-garde Russian writer and poet Dmitry Prigov, which took place on the night of August 24-25, 2007. In his honor, the performance artists rode around the Circle Line of the Moscow Metro. During his lifetime, Prigov was known for staging unusual performances, one of his most memorable being the media opera Russia, in which he tried to teach a cat to pronounce the name of the country. 

speech festival marks

“Before the start, we wondered how many stations we’d go through before the police got us. Incredibly, not a single policeman entered our carriage, and that’s despite the fact that all rail cars on the Circle Line are equipped with surveillance cameras,” the Plucer blog quotes the words of participant Oleg Vorotnikov.

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Meghan Markle billed as ‘visionary female leader’ on SXSW 2024 lineup ahead of keynote speech

M eghan Markle is one of the five “visionary female leaders” set to take the stage at the upcoming South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Texas on Friday, which also marks International Women’s Day.

The Duchess of Sussex was praised for being a “feminist and champion of human rights and gender equity” ahead of her appearance on the panel in Austin.

Markle, 42, will be joined by Brooke Shields, Katie Couric and Nancy Wang Yuen to discuss “breaking barriers” and “challenging stereotypes” on social media — specifically concerning teenage girls.

The panel discussion, titled “Breaking Barriers, Shaping Narratives: How Women Lead On and Off the Screen,” will be moderated by journalist Errin Haines.

”Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, Katie Couric, Brooke Shields, Nancy Wang Yuen and [moderator] Errin Haines are the perfect finishing touch to eight days of remarkable keynote speakers,” SXSW co-president and chief programming officer Hugh Forrest  said in a statement  Monday.

“We are so honored to host this distinguished group on International Women’s Day for a significant discussion on the importance of representation in media and entertainment.”

Markle was part of a similar discussion in October 2023 while doing a panel for the first Archewell Foundation Parents’ Summit, titled “Mental Wellness in a Digital Age.”

During the summit, Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, got candid about the challenges of raising children in the digital age — revealing they had been quietly working with tech companies  and parents who have lost children due to online bullying.

“I think for us, for myself and my wife, with kids growing up in a digital age, the priority here is to again turn pain into purpose and provide as much support as well as a spotlight and a platform for these parents to come together, to heal, to grieve and to also collectively focus on solutions so that no other family anywhere has to go through what they’ve been through,” said Harry, who  shares Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2,  with Markle.

The couple has dipped their toes into several different business ventures since quitting the royal family in 2020.

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Markle recently  inked a new podcast deal  with Lemonada Media after her original $20-million-dollar contract with Spotify wasn’t renewed amid her “Hollywood reinvention.”

Insiders also told Page Six last month that Makle hopes to “take on” America’s most famous lifestyle queens — like Ina Garten,  Martha Stewart  or  Joanna Gaines — during the final year of her $100 million Netflix deal.

We were told the mother of two wants to center herself in the lifestyle space before the contract runs out at the end of 2025.

The couple is already producing several other projects with the streamer — including a film adaptation of  Carley Fortune’s hit book , “Meet Me By the Lake.”

The Duke of Sussex also pitched a solo documentary about  traveling to Africa , sources told us in June 2023.

Meghan Markle billed as ‘visionary female leader’ on SXSW 2024 lineup ahead of keynote speech

IMAGES

  1. When to use speech marks. Fully Editable Poster

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  2. Speech Festival

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  3. 72nd Speech Festival Winning Performances

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  4. Using Speech Marks: A Presentation and Guide

    speech festival marks

  5. International Free Speech Film Festival Identity

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  6. Speech Marks Presentation

    speech festival marks

COMMENTS

  1. Frequently Asked Questions

    All unclaimed mark sheets will be destroyed before the commencement of the next Speech Festival. (Reference: Part 5 of "Rules and Regulations - Live Competition Mode" and Part 7 of "Rules and Regulations - Video Submission Mode") 5. What are the judging criteria for this year's Speech Festival?

  2. 75th Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival (2023) (English Speech)

    List of Universities and Post-secondary Institutes Eligible to Enter the Speech Festival (Rules and Regulations Annex 1) (LCM) 2023-08-21: Enrolment Link for Universities/ Post-secondary Students (English Speech) (Ended) ... On-line Booking of Mark Sheets and Pennants Collection (For Members only) (VSM) 2024-01-23 Latest! Overall Comment of the ...

  3. Speech Festival (English)

    On-line Booking of a Time Slot to View Competition Materials. 2021-07-02. 72nd Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival: Mark Sheets, Pennants and Certificates Collection. 2020-09-16. Collection of Refund for the 71st Speech Festival. 71st Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival (English Speech) (2020) Competition Information. 2021-06-29 Latest!

  4. 8th LCM Speech Festival

    Competition schedule will be announced via email. (email sent from [email protected]) in April 2024. The London College of Music (LCM) and Hotung Mills Education Foundation are delighted to announce the 8th LCM Speech Festival in Hong Kong from 8 - 10 June 204 is leading event, while receiving a certificate and useful feedback from the LCM ...

  5. Hong Kong Speech Festival

    The Hong Kong Speech Festival (English speech) is upon us again and that means a lot of students are preparing for their solo verses. As usual, the poems require the students to immerse themselves in the poet's words and showcase their ability to convey emotions in order to score high marks. And as always, this is the most difficult part for any participant in these competitions.

  6. Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival

    The Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival is one of Hong Kong's largest inter-school competitions, ... (90 marks or over), Merit (80 - 89 marks) and Proficiency (75 - 79 marks). Most schools in Hong Kong recognize this event to be one of the most important accolades that a student can receive and it is often mentioned in most schools list of ...

  7. Speech Festival FAQs

    Prose Speaking. The piece must be memorised fully. Prose Reading. The piece MUST NOT be memorised (marks will be deducted otherwise). The student MUST hold the book. An extract from the book will be chosen by the adjudicator (usually different for each student). There is no need to quote the name of the book and author unless the adjudicator ...

  8. Speech Festival Success

    If you're taking part in the Speech Festival this year, here are my top tips for success: Don't use gestures; use your voice and facial expressions to convey your interpretation of the poem. Speak from your tummy, not your throat. Understand the different feelings as they change through the poem. Feel the rhythm in your body as you read.

  9. What are speech marks? Examples and how to use them

    By showing when someone is speaking, speech marks can help make a text more lively and easier to read. In a story, speech marks may show which of the characters is speaking. For example, in a children's book you may read: "We always eat in the garden," said Markus. In a news article, speech marks can be used to show a statement made by an ...

  10. PDF A Short Guide to Pitch-marking in the Festival Speech Synthesis System

    This document describes the methods used in Festival to extract pitch-marks for use in speech synthesis. The aim of this document is to provide some insight and possible solutions on the problem of pitch-mark extraction for a novice to the field of speech processing. 1.1 Overview of this document Section 2 gives a definition of pitch-marks as ...

  11. 74th Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival Results (English Events 2022-23)

    *Members of SKHTST Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program (TYLP) Fifteen members of our school's Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program participated in the events (prose reading solo, public speaking solo and dramatic duologue) of the 74 th Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival. Three of them were champions, five of them were 1 st runners-up and two of them were 2 nd runners-up.

  12. Top 10 tips for Speech Festival success! Part 1: Preparation

    Top 10 tips for Speech Festival success! Part 1: Preparation. Decide which event to enrol in - depending on age, the child may be able to choose from verse (a poem), prose (an extract from a story), or reading aloud (performing from a written document). Most students enter the verse event, which is a great place to start for a first speech ...

  13. GALLAGHER: Northwest Iowa trifecta marks All-State speech festival

    TIM GALLAGHER. Feb 19, 2018. 0. 1 of 10. Students perform "Back Cover," the Siouxland Christian High School one-act play deemed Critic's Choice at the Iowa All-State Large-Group Speech Festival in ...

  14. A speech by Her Majesty The Queen at a reception to celebrate

    A speech by Her Majesty The Queen at a reception to celebrate International Women's Day and to mark the end of the WOW Girls Festival Bus tour. Published 12 March 2024. Let your lives be the stones that will shatter glass ceilings everywhere and inspire generations to come.

  15. Speech Festival

    This section records our schools' results in the English section of the Speech Festival since the year 2006-2007. You may also check our Videos section for some of the video-recorded pieces performed by our solo and group award-recipients. 75th Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival (2023-2024) Solo awardees: Winners 23. 2nd places 27.

  16. Billie Eillish Wins Best Original Song for 'Barbie' at the 2024 Oscars

    The win marks the first time in 25 years that a song has won both the Oscar for best original song and the Grammy for song of the year. By Emily Burack Published: Mar 10, 2024 8:46 PM EST Save Article

  17. Fact Focus: Claims Biden administration is secretly flying migrants

    1 of 2 | . FILE - President Joe Biden walks out of the White House to board Marine One on the South Lawn in Washington, Jan. 12, 2024. In his victory speech Tuesday, March 5, 2024 former president Donald Trump echoed false statements that the Biden administration has secretly flown hundreds of thousands of foreigners to the United States.

  18. 5 Takeaways From the State of the Union

    Verbal swings at Donald Trump, though not by name. A spirited back-and-forth with G.O.P. lawmakers. And a loud and feisty delivery. By Michael D. Shear and Shane Goldmacher President Biden ...

  19. Hong Kong Schools Music and Speech Association

    71st Hong Kong Schools Music Festival Prize-winners' Concert. 16 / 27. 75th Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival Prize-winners' Recital. 17 / 27. 71st Hong Kong Schools Music Festival Grantham Music Awards Presentation cum Awardees Recital. 18 / 27. 71st Hong Kong Schools Music Festival Prize-winners' Concert. 19 / 27.

  20. What Are Speech Marks?

    What are speech marks called in the national curriculum? The national curriculum refers to speech marks as inverted commas, but the term speech marks are also acceptable. It doesn't refer to them as quotation marks. Teaching Speech Marks. Teaching children to understand speech marks in KS1 and KS2 doesn't have to be a challenge.

  21. Reviews of the best classical concerts from March 2024

    C2C festival, O2 Arena, review: a new dawn for the once-rigid genre of country music Ariana Grande, Eternal Sunshine, review: pop at its sexiest Lola Young: this gobby British pop singer is on her ...

  22. Hitler-quoting candidate wins North Carolina Republican gubernatorial

    Mark Robinson, North Carolina's lieutenant governor who has a history of making inflammatory comments and has said he would abolish abortion rights, has won the state's Republican nomination ...

  23. First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford to give evidence at Covid

    Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, will give evidence at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry in Cardiff on Wednesday. Mr Drakeford, who will stand down as Welsh Labour leader this month, will answer ...

  24. Quotation Marks: Rules and Examples

    The quotation marks symbol is a type of punctuation used for setting words and passages apart from the rest of the text. Quotation marks, or "quotes" for short, look just like commas, except quotation marks are at the top of a line instead of at the bottom. Double quotation marks are simply two "commas" next to each other, while single ...

  25. George Santos at State of the Union marks first return since expulsion

    George Santos is back on Capitol Hill, though not as a congressman this time. The ousted elected official made a surprise appearance at President Joe Biden's State of the Union address. Later that ...

  26. Mary J. Blige's Strength of a Woman Festival Returns to NYC in 2024

    Mary J. Blige Brings Her Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit to New York City for 2024. 50 Cent, Jill Scott, Muni Long and Lola Brooke are among the performers at the Mother's Day weekend ...

  27. Rave wake and Stalin's speech: the most unusual events in the Moscow

    Speech by I. Stalin with a report dedicated to the 24th anniversary of the VOSR at the solemn meeting of the Moscow City Council. Mayakovskaya metro station, November 6, 1941. Sputnik. In some ...

  28. Speech Festival

    Past Winners and Festival Statistics; Committee; Staff; Press Release; Job Vacancy; Tender; Speech Festival. 75th Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival (2023) (Chinese Speech) 75th Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival (2023) (English Speech) Music Festival; Membership; Member Login; Key Events. 70th Anniversary Celebrations; Prize-winners' Concert ...

  29. What Are Speech Marks?

    The most common use of speech marks is to punctuate direct speech. Direct speech is any speech spoken directly by a person or character. For example: "I'm tired!" Lauren complained. Direct speech can be the most complicated type of speech to punctuate because of the placement of the speech marks and punctuation in each sentence. The main rules ...

  30. Meghan Markle billed as 'visionary female leader' on SXSW ...

    Meghan Markle is one of the five "visionary female leaders" set to take the stage at the upcoming South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Texas on Friday, which also marks International Women ...